Premiered 31 October 2013 at the International Electro-Acoustic Music Festival (IEAMF) at Brooklyn College

How'd It Get Burned?

Ian Munro: organ
Ellen O'Meara: synthesizer
Alex Smith: percussion
Gerard Sullivan: marimba
Joe Tucker: vibraphone

Jim McHugh: tape echo/quad tremolo
Jeff Tobias: alto saxophone

Sunwatchers - Gallagher III

Devin Cholodenko: violin
Matthew Gantt: sampler
Konrad Kamm: modular synthesizer
Derek LaRoche: 'cello
Alex Smith: percussion
Jeff Tobias: piano

Recorded by Matthew Gantt
Mixed by Joel Hatstat and Matthew Gantt

Premiered April 4, 2014 at Roosevelt Hall, Brooklyn College
Mastered by Joel Hatstat

Alex Smith: percussion soloist

Max Alper: voice 
Gordon Bartow: trombone 
Joseph Brunetti: marimba 
Ansel Cohen: violoncello
Matthew Compo: piano 
Matthew Gantt: samplers 
Savannah Gordon: voice 
Konrad Kamm: double bass
Derek LaRoche: violoncello
Rob Peterson: electronics 
Becky Reid: percussion 
Emma Rock: accordion
Jason Robira: percussion 
Jeff Tobias: alto saxophone

From the program notes: 
John Brennan is the current director of the CIA. Prior to taking this position, he was one of President Obama's top counterterrorism advisors. It was during this time that he claimed the CIA's covert campaign of drone strikes hadn't resulted in "a single collateral death" (June 29th, 2011). The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has reported approximately 45 civilian deaths from drone strikes in the year leading up to Brennan's statement. If we can't trust the CIA, who can we trust?

When Brennan assumed the role of CIA chief, he spoke of a drawdown of drone strikes. As of this writing, the last drone strike in Pakistan was on Christmas Day, 2013. The most recent drone attack in Yemen was May 12th, 2014. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism claims that over 4,000 civilians have lost their lives due to U.S. remote bombing. The White House denies that the numbers are anywhere near as high. Human rights journalists are attempting to negotiate this "reality gap": validating the lives and deaths of those the American government will kill, but won't acknowledge.

Using information from data artist Josh Begley's Dronestream project, I added up the number of secret drone attacks in 2012 and 2013. The number was 174. I took this number and randomized it across 730 (two years' worth of days) places on a timeline. This is the percussion chart for this piece. This randomization takes these real events and subjects them to a process of abstraction. I had no desire to directly conflate a percussive gesture with military actions resulting in death. But I felt these events had to be acknowledged; the abstraction is out of respect. It's reality once-removed.

"Drones Against Drones Metadata 2012-2013" is a work signifying mourning, anger, and an attempt at broader awareness. After the performance, I urge members of the audience to sign a pledge that they will never participate in the United States' disproportionately one-sided bombing of some of the world's poorest regions.

Drones Against Drones: Metadata 2012-2013

Special thanks to Ale Cohen! http://dublab.com/ale-wguest-jeff-tobias-elevation-through-sound-08-23-17/

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